An apparatus having an interface and a control circuit is disclosed. The interface may be configured to process a plurality of read/write operations to/from a memory. The control circuit may be configured to (i) access information that characterizes a plurality of trapping sets of a low-density parity check code in response to receiving data, (ii) encode the data using the low-density parity check code to generate a codeword and (iii) write the codeword in the memory. The generation of the codeword may include at least one of a shortening and a puncturing of a plurality of bits in the codeword. The plurality of bits may be selected based on the information that characterizes the plurality of trapping sets. The bits selected generally reduce a probability that an error correction of the codeword after the codeword is read from the memory fails due to the plurality of trapping sets.